Lucas and John Livaditis, grandsons of Zesto founder "Big John," took the reins of the family’s drive-ins this spring and are now hands-on at the two remaining Atlanta spots. They are taking orders at the counter, hauling supplies, training new hires, and bussing tables as they work to rebuild Zesto’s footprint and keep the double-decker Chubby Decker legend alive. What was once a roughly 10-unit hometown chain at its 1980s peak has largely shrunk to its East Atlanta and Forest Park locations.
Brothers beef up operations
Lucas, who holds the title of vice president of strategy for Big John’s and Zesto, said he and his brother were logging about 80 hours a week each when they first stepped in, and the hustle paid off in the numbers. “That March was the biggest we’ve had in six years ... and then April was the second biggest,” he told Rough Draft Atlanta. The pair are plugging gaps across the operation, from covering front-of-house shifts to running last-minute supply runs, to keep the throwback counter service moving.
Where Zesto stands now
According to Zesto Atlanta, the company currently lists only Forest Park and East Atlanta as open, complete with posted hours and online ordering for both. The Forest Park restaurant sits less than a 10-minute drive from Hartsfield-Jackson, and the menu still leans on Zesto’s calling cards, including its soft-serve and the Chubby Decker burgers. Management says its priority is shoring up staffing and service at the existing locations before making any aggressive moves to grow again.
Ponce is the long game
The brothers say the ultimate target is to “restore Zesto to the Ponce glory,” a reference to the chain’s long run on Ponce de Leon Avenue. That flagship closed years ago and the property was later redeveloped. Local outlets reported that the Ponce Zesto shut down in 2014 and the site changed hands, and The Atlanta Journal‑Constitution covered both the closure and what followed.
Nostalgia, drive-thru and business realities
Lucas and John are leaning into the family story as a marketing boost, but they also point to practical realities that chipped away at Zesto’s presence, especially the fact that locations without drive-thru lanes had a tough time in recent years. The Little Five Points restaurant took a major hit in 2021 when a tree crashed onto the building, and it never returned to service, an episode chronicled by Eater Atlanta. For now, the brothers are trying to balance the feel-good nostalgia with the daily grind of turning tickets quickly and making sure peak periods like summer and big events actually pencil out.
What comes next
In the short term, Lucas and John say the plan is to keep tightening operations at Forest Park and East Atlanta while they scout possible new sites closer to Midtown and the Old Fourth Ward. As Zesto Atlanta notes, the brand has been run by the same family in Atlanta since 1949, which gives the brothers time to see whether a mix of nostalgia and consistent service can fuel a comeback. If that works, a return to Ponce would be less about flipping a switch and more about writing a new chapter in a long-running local story.
